A/N: Do not start reading this looking for chan, because I do not do chan. I do not approve of chan, and I thusly will not write it. This is fluff. :P
Rating: PG
Warnings: This is slash! So if you don't like it, then please don't read it.
Pairing: Cedric Diggory/Justin Finch-Fletchley
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters contained within the series by the same name. I am simply taking the characters from Harry Potter to provide entertainment for myself and my friends– no profit is being made from this piece.
His naïveté intrigues me. I must say, I do believe it's the only reason I've stuck around him for as long as I have. There was no way, though, I could have pushed him away from me, that night he confronted me…
He was a second year, and I was a fifth. We were up late studying – I had always been the one to help with Defense Against the Dark Arts in Hufflepuff, mainly because I was the best in the House in that particular subject. The essay I was helping him with was a simple one, really. It was about defending oneself against a werewolf. Only six inches were required; Lockhart never really knew how to teach. If done properly, any student could have gotten away with barely three sentences, and gotten a perfect grade on it. It was absolutely ludicrous. That's why it was no surprise when in their third year, my sixth, none of them knew anything about werewolves when the time came for the knowledge to be applied.
I knew he didn't really need help on this essay. I thought he just wanted an excuse to be talking with an older student. All of the youngers always admire the olders, and it's no surprise hearing a third year say, "Did you see that? Cedric waved to me!" or a second year proclaiming, "Oh my God, Oliver was just talking to me!" as you walk down the halls. I know for a fact that I behaved like that when I was a first-year.
But I was wrong. There was more to it with Justin. It was more than just admiration.
"See now?" I asked leaning back in my seat on the couch. We finished at about 11:30. It took longer than I'd expected to help him; his handwriting was miniscule. I remember being amazed that any professor could read such writing without a magnifying glass.
"It's not that hard, really," I stated. "Especially with Lockhart teaching." I smiled at him.
Justin began to lean back too, but he didn't seem to be relaxing. "Actually, I think that makes it harder," he said quietly. I laughed.
I watched him close his eyes, which made me tired. I yawned. I felt the couch sink as he relaxed his body, a little closer to me than I normally would have liked.
"You smell like my house," Justin said. I stopped in mid-yawn. It took me quite off guard; that sentence will never leave me for as long as I live. Perfectly cute, perfectly naïve, Justin smiled comfortably with his eyes still closed and his hands folded in his lap.
"I… what?" I faltered, not knowing what else to say.
"You do." Justin's eyes opened and looked into mine. "You remind me of home. It's nice."
I laughed. "Thanks?" I asked jokingly, hoping he would laugh too so I wouldn't feel so stupid.
Justin smiled at me and nodded. "Yes. It makes me feel comfortable."
I yawned again, but this time it was forced. "Anyway, I hope I helped. We should both be getting to our dormitories." I looked around. We were the only ones left in the common room. "It's getting late…"
"It's quite nice," he stated. My eyes returned to his. His smile, still quite pleasant, remained. "It's nice to feel comfortable at a time when I'm constantly frightened." My arm, which had previously been resting on the back of the couch behind Justin, came into my lap on an instinct. I just looked at Justin who smiled at me. I'd never heard him talk about anything other than weather, school, or family. The normal small talk. It was clear that Justin had been living in fear of Harry Potter, worrying that maybe he could be the heir of Slytherin (which was all blather, in my opinion), but he never talked about it. I didn't know what to say to him.
"I…" He paused and his smile faltered. "I don't really feel as comfortable with Ernie or Susan or Hannah as I do when I'm with you… I feel this almost…warm feeling in the pit of my stomach…"
I tried to smile at him, but it was a weak attempt. He looked away and blushed.
"I'm, er…" I tried to think of something to say to him in return.
"I like you, Cedric," he said quickly, looking at the table instead of at me. It was rushed, but I understood him perfectly… and what he meant by it. There was a small amount of time in which I didn't know what to say, and our silence was awkward.
After a short while, Justin sputtered out, "If you don't feel the same way, I completely understand. I didn't – I didn't expect you to…" He lifted his head to look at me again and said, his words clear and no longer quite so nervous, "I just had to tell you. I wanted to let you know."
His eyes were red and his cheeks were flushed. He held his chin up in defiance, as though trying to prove to himself that he could do this. The idea of kissing him crossed my mind. Before I knew it, however, it was no longer an idea, but it was an action as I felt my lips press against his.
What are you doing? my mind screamed. He's twelve! I pulled back quickly and put my hand to my mouth as Justin stared at me with his gaping open.
"I…" I tried to think of something to say to explain my action, but I couldn't. "I'm sorry," I said and got up and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Justin called quietly, lifting one hand as though willing me to stop with it. I turned to look at him, and he took the hand he lifted and put it to his mouth.
"Tell me I didn't dream that," he asked of me in all seriousness, looking at me with his eyes still wide.
I smiled slightly and leaned down to kiss him once more. I had to, I couldn't resist… Although we were three years apart right now in our teenage years, in ten years from now, the difference between us would be considered only three years.
My face still inches from his after our second kiss, I told him, "Get some sleep." I turned away from him once more and walked to my dormitory.
More A/N!: Well, I'm glad you cared enough to make it this far. :P I don't think I'll continue this; it was originally a one-shot. But I feel it could be built on and created into something bigger. I doubt I'll try anything with this, because I'm still working on Dangerously In Love (which is soon to be updated! Yay! And his Draco/Justin, for Justin fans coughplug), but yeh never know.